THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON SCENIC RIVERS IN OHIO

In the state of Ohio, most rivers have undergone major modifications due to human activity. Fifteen rivers across the state have retained most of their natural character and are designated as scenic rivers. These rivers are ideal surface water systems to characterize hydrologic shifts caused by changes in climate. In this work we assess the impact of climate change on two scenic rivers in northeast and central Ohio, the Grand and the Big Darby. Both river watersheds are dominated by a combination of agricultural and forested landscape. We compiled discharge and precipitation data over a thirty-year period and conducted statistical analyses using the Mann-Kendall Test to evaluate trends in the data. Annual and monthly trends revealed an increase in annual mean, median, and maximum discharge, and a decrease in annual minimum discharge. Overall, it is evident that river discharge increased from 1990 to 2021. Higher annual maximums and lower minimums suggest an increase in extreme weather events that can cause floods and droughts. Additional statistical analyses will be conducted on Ohio precipitation and compared with discharge. The discharge patterns of the Grand and Big Darby rivers suggest long-term changes, which may be representative of fluctuating precipitation and climate over time. These data are important to understand how hydrologic patterns are shifting due to changes in climate, as both environmental and human systems are threatened by increasing erosion changes and flooding events.